Chuck Grassley: “second, the interest in this legislation and the reason this is such an important piece of legislation is that there is…”

“second, the interest in this legislation and the reason this is such an important piece of legislation is that there is a lot of understanding at the grassroots of America that it is immoral and unethical for people with the ability and the means to repay some of their debt to go into bankruptcy court and be discharged of that debt. It is particularly wrong when it hurts the very same low-income and middle-income people about whom the Senator from Minnesota talks. They have to pay $400 more per family per year for goods and services. They pay a higher fee or price because somebody else isn't paying their bills. That is not going to be absorbed by the business in most cases; it is going to be passed on to the consumer. On the basis of ability to pay, particularly for the necessities of life of food and clothing and things of that nature, it is going to hurt the low-income people and middle-income people of America disproportionately because somebody else isn't paying their bills. There is an understanding at the grassroots of America that this just isn't right. That is why this legislation has such overwhelming support. I refer to this chart because it has letters from my constituents. I bet the Senators from Minnesota and other States are getting letters from their constituents saying the same thing.…”